Digital Transnational Repression in a Distinct Domain

Foreign Platforms as Arenas of Political Control



Allison Koh

Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Government at


Peace Research Institute Frankfurt — October 11, 2024

Overview

  • State of the research on diaspora dissent and digital transnational repression
  • Theoretical Contributions: Political control on foreign platforms and determinants of/implications for state strategy

State of the Research

Diaspora Dissent and Digital Transnational Repression

Liberation technology or digital authoritarianism?

As global migration ⬆️, a new regime threat emerges…

di•as•po•ra

/daɪˈæspərə/    noun

“[A] social collectivity that exists across state borders that has succeeded over time to (1) sustain a collective national, cultural, or religious identity through a sense of internal cohesion and sustained ties with a real or imagined homeland and (2) display an ability to address the collective interests of members of the social collectivity through a developed internal organizational framework and transnational links”

(Adamson and Demetriou 2007)

The mobilizing capacity of diaspora dissent

The pivotal role of diaspora dissidents

At Home

Abroad

“Horizontal” networks at home 🏡
(Brinkerhoff 2009; Alonso and Oiarzabal 2010; Bernal 2020)

“Vertical” networks abroad 🌏
(Keck and Sikkink 1999; Michaelsen 2018; Esberg and Siegel 2020)

The pivotal role of diaspora dissidents in the digital age

At Home

Abroad

“Horizontal” networks at home 🏡
(Brinkerhoff 2009; Alonso and Oiarzabal 2010; Bernal 2020)

“Vertical” networks abroad 🌏
(Keck and Sikkink 1999; Michaelsen 2018; Esberg and Siegel 2020)

Why would states want to limit diaspora dissent?

Regime survival1

  • Fragment cross-border connections
  • Discourage mobilization of potential challengers

External image management2

  • Evade sanctions
  • Promote favorable foreign policy outcomes

What do states do to limit diaspora dissent?

Digital Transnational Repression (DTR)

The use of digital tools to intimidate, threaten, and silence regime critics in diaspora communities

(Schenkkan and Linzer 2021)

Theoretical Contributions

Political Control on Foreign Platforms

Determinants of/implications for state strategy

DTR beyond the bounds of political control

 

At Home 🏡

Abroad 🌍

Domestic Platforms

Foreign Platforms

Foreign platforms as arenas of political control

The Unique Challenges of Foreign Platforms

  • Foreign platforms fall outside the bounds of regulatory control for the state.
  • When targets live abroad, they are also outside the bounds of territorial control.

However…

… foreign platforms are becoming increasingly accommodating to adversarial political actors.

Determinants of state strategy on foreign platforms

Mobilization Capacity of Diaspora Dissent

  • The extent to which dissidents can challenge political authorities through active participation in political activities (El Kurd 2019)
  • Many facets, e.g.: working with international media/NGOs (Bob 2005), media freedom in host countries, algorithmic reach on social media

Regulatory Environment for Digital Authoritarianism

  • The degree to which pro-regime content can spread on foreign platforms
  • Restrictive: stringent government + platform policies, e.g.: algorithmic demotion of state accounts, managing influence operations, GDPR/DSA
  • Permissive: minimal intervention from platforms + governments, e.g.: platform compliance with government requests, limited data privacy laws

Thank you!

a.w.koh@bham.ac.uk

https://allisonkoh.github.io/

🦋 @allisonwkoh

References

Adamson, Fiona B., and Madeleine Demetriou. 2007. “Remapping the Boundaries of ‘State’ and ‘National Identity’: Incorporating Diasporas into IR Theorizing.” European Journal of International Relations 13 (4): 489–526. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354066107083145.
Alonso, Andoni, and Pedro Oiarzabal. 2010. Diasporas in the New Media Age: Identity, Politics, and Community. University of Nevada Press.
Bernal, Victoria. 2020. “African Digital Diasporas: Technologies, Tactics, and Trends: Introduction.” African Diaspora 12 (1-2): 1–10.
Bob, Clifford. 2005. The Marketing of Rebellion: Insurgents, Media, and International Activism. Cambridge University Press.
Brinkerhoff, Jennifer M. 2009. Digital Diasporas: Identity and Transnational Engagement. Cambridge University Press.
Dukalskis, Alexander. 2021. Making the World Safe for Dictatorship. Oxford University Press.
El Kurd, Dana. 2019. Polarized and Demobilized: Legacies of Authoritarianism in Palestine. Oxford University Press.
Esberg, Jane. 2021. “Anticipating Dissent: The Repression of Politicians in Pinochet’s Chile.” The Journal of Politics 83 (2): 689–705. https://doi.org/10.1086/710086.
Esberg, Jane, and Alexandra Siegel. 2020. “How Exile Shapes Online Opposition: Evidence from Venezuela.”
Holbig, Heike. 2011. “International Dimensions of Legitimacy: Reflections on Western Theories and the Chinese Experience.” Journal of Chinese Political Science 16: 161–81.
Keck, Margaret E., and Kathryn Sikkink. 1999. “Transnational Advocacy Networks in International and Regional Politics.” International Social Science Journal 51 (159): 89–101. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2451.00179.
Krcmaric, Daniel. 2019. “Information, Secrecy, and Civilian Targeting.” International Studies Quarterly 63 (2): 322–33. https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqz014.
Michaelsen, Marcus. 2018. “Exit and Voice in a Digital Age: Iran’s Exiled Activists and the Authoritarian State.” Globalizations 15 (2): 248–64.
Schenkkan, Nate, and Isabel Linzer. 2021. “Out of Sight, Not Out of Reach: The Global Scale and Scope of Transnational Repression.” Freedom House (8 February 2021), Available at:{https://Freedomhouse. Org/Report/Transnational-Repression} Accessed 7.
Wright, Thomas C., and Rody Oñate Zúniga. 2007. “Chilean Political Exile.” Latin American Perspectives 34 (4): 31–49.